Optical matrix multiplication unit for an optoelectronic system for forming an artificial neural network

Abstract

An optical matrix multiplication unit for an optoelectronic system can be used to form an artificial neural network, having N input waveguides, M output waveguides and a plurality of matrix multiplication unit cells for signal processing of optical signals of one each of the N input waveguides and for transferring the processed signals into one each of the M output waveguides, wherein each of the matrix multiplication unit cells is allocated to one of the input waveguides and one of the output waveguides and undertakes a unique allocation between said two allocated waveguides. Each of the matrix multiplication unit cells has, for signal processing and signal transfer, a directional coupler, having an electrooptical modulator for transmission control of the directional coupler, interconnected between the allocated input waveguide and the allocated output waveguide.

1 . An optical matrix multiplication unit for an optoelectronic system for forming an artificial neural network, comprising:
 N input waveguides;   M output waveguides; and   a plurality of matrix multiplication unit cells for signal processing of optical signals from each of the N input waveguides and for transmitting the respective processed signal into one of the M output waveguides, wherein each of the matrix multiplication unit cells is allocated to one of the input waveguides and one of the output waveguides and implements a unique allocation between these two allocated waveguides,   wherein each of the matrix multiplication unit cells includes, for signal processing and signal transmission, a directional coupler interconnected between the allocated input waveguide and the allocated output waveguide and comprising an electro-optical modulator for transmission control of the directional coupler.   
     
     
         2 . The matrix multiplication unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the electro-optical modulator of the respective matrix multiplication unit cell is a phase modulator. 
     
     
         3 . The matrix multiplication unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the respective directional coupler comprises a Mach-Zehnder interferometer in which the phase modulator is integrated. 
     
     
         4 . The matrix multiplication unit according to  claim 3 , wherein the respective directional coupler further comprises multimode interference couplers for wave splitting at the input and the output of the Mach-Zehnder interferometer. 
     
     
         5 . The matrix multiplication unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the electro-optical modulator of the respective matrix multiplication unit cell is an absorption modulator. 
     
     
         6 . The matrix multiplication unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said matrix multiplication unit is configured as a semiconductor-based matrix multiplication unit. 
     
     
         7 . The matrix multiplication unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said matrix multiplication unit is configured as a matrix multiplication unit based on at least one optically active material. 
     
     
         8 . A matrix multiplication unit cell for an optical matrix multiplication unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said unit cell comprises, for signal processing of optical signals of an input waveguide of the optical matrix multiplication unit and for transmitting the respectively processed signal into an output waveguide of the optical matrix multiplication unit, a directional coupler comprising an integrated electrooptical modulator. 
     
     
         9 . An optoelectronic system for forming an artificial neural network, comprising:
 a light source unit;   an optical matrix multiplication unit according to  claim 1 ; and   a sensor unit.